Coming so quickly on the heels of the conquest of Cheltenham by Irish raiders, Saturday’s magnificent Grand Slam at Twickenham created the kind of feel-good atmosphere that the Government’s Special Communications Unit can only dream about.

Heineken Cup winners Rocky Elsom and Gordon D'Arcy will start for the Barbarians against England in Twickenham on Saturday.

Leeds Tykes put their woeful Zurich Premiership form to one side with a deserved win over London Irish in the Powergen Cup semi-final.

NEIL BACK begins his 13th season at Leicester this week with a confession about the notorious piece of gamesmanship which denied Munster’s European Cup final dream last May.

Ireland rugby captain Mick Galwey says he and his team are delighted to have been given a second chance after their Twickenham disaster.